Pages

September 6, 2011

Moody Tuesday: Global Clutter

Holy cow, did we get a LOT done around the house this weekend. We replaced vapor barrier in the crawl space, removed offensive plants from the backyard and side driveway, we hung curtains, picked up special-order upholstery fabric, bought towels and sheets…Sheesh! The list goes on and on. So this week (not counting today) you can look forward to lots of really-real posts about really-real things we’ve actually accomplished. “Why not today?” you ask. Well, because I’ve got about a hundred photos to sort through and edit, so today you’re just going to have to put up with an inspiration board instead. ;)

Since we missed out on Moody Monday this week, here is a Moody Tuesday board for your viewing pleasure. May I introduce…the Front Living Room (also called the “Upper Living Room,” also called the “Library,” also called the “Sitting Room,” also called “Where Homer Lives”).

So, the design for the Front Living Room (which will be referred to as the FLR, for the remainder of this post) really started out as an accident. It all began when we first bought the yellow couch (which my Mother lovingly-slash-mockingly calls “Homer”). I bought Homer for two basic reasons: A) we had no furniture at all for the FLR, and B) he was only $20. Now, I have to admit, I wasn’t all that stoked about Homer when he first moved in with us. I mean, he was cheap and he did enable me to use the front section of our house, but I always had plans to move him somewhere less public after we got some “real” furniture. However, the more I see of him the more I think he’s…well, he’s kind of cute. Maybe not baby-panda-cute, but at least three-legged-pug-cute. You know, kind of ugly and kind of adorable and definitely one of a kind? Yeah, like that. So, over the course of the last few weeks, I’ve gradually grown to feel that Homer is here to stay (now I just need to convince Denny to feel the same way).

The next bit of serendipity was the temporary placement of one of my favorite paintings in the bookshelf that also currently (and temporarily) lives in the FLR.

This piece was a gift from my Grandma when Denny and I got married. It’s by a favorite artist of mine and it’s a stunning, richly-colored original that definitely deserves a place of honor in our home. Well, at first I was skeptical about pairing it with Homer, but the more I look at the two of them together, the more I think they give off kind of an eclectic, hip vibe.

Keeping that in mind, my search for inspiration began. And then, I found this little picture…

And this color palette…

The rest, as they say, is history.

There’s so much to love about this inspiration room. First, it features Homer’s more attractive and classy cousin, Chesterfield. Second, it has such a fun, layered, global feel. Like each piece was collected from your own travels. Although none of the pieces really match all that well, it has a charming kind of mismatchiness (like that word? I invented it just now). Keeping that kind of free-spirit, hodgepodge frame of mind wasn’t easy, but I think I succeeded with this little mood board that I recently made up.

1. Here’s the painting that led the way. It was how I first thought that maybe blue would be a nice pairing for my old goldenrod couch.

2. Speaking of which, here is a very similar couch to remind you of what Homer looks like and to give you a base color for…

3. …these pillows, which I plan to layer artfully on Homer’s golden expanse. I’m really excited about getting creative with pillows, adding all kinds of unexpected patterns and themes to create a very stylish, “collected” look.

4. Next, here’s the basic type of chair that I want to add to the room. I don’t want anything too bulky or cushy, but just something kind of clean and modern, which won’t compete with Homer but isn’t a complete wallflower either. I’d like to add two of these chairs across from Homer, creating a nice little conversation area. These, too, will be layered with coordinating (yet mismatched) pillows, giving the room a sense of cohesion.

5. See? I told you: I, too, have fallen prey to the lure of industrial casters. This coffee table is a DIY piece made out of weathered wood, so it can be built to any size and shape you want (or, I should say, any size and shape you’re capable of making in your garage). I’d like I nice large, square table. Something that you could throw a board game on and huddle around on poufs on the floor with, since I’m pretty sure this room won’t have a TV in it.

6. I chose this particular rug for a couple of different reasons. First, it’s a nice dark (but not muddy) color. Also, although it claims to have “art dots,” I kind of think it looks like a super chic version of a leopard print, which adds that touch of global-exotic that this room needs.

7. Also adding to the somewhat exotic feel of the room are these natural-tone roman shades for the massive front window. They’re the perfect solution to the on-display, aquarium-feel that we’re currently living with.

8. Lastly, I was surfing around trying to find a unique bookshelf when I decided to see what Target had to offer. I was amazed to find that they had a whole selection of interesting bookcases that look remarkably “designer.” This was the one that I fell hard for. And the best part? It’s only $80. I am so buying this little guy. I think it’ll be the perfect spot to prop up my inspiration art, along with some other little mementos (and, of course, books) that will finish off my eclectic, global-inspired living room.